In Thailand, there are two primary city destinations, one of which is Bangkok and the other is the culturally diverse and significant city that is Chiang Mai. Although the former is the country's identifying city, the latter, through the years, has grown to become equally as renowned among travelers.

Chiang Mai stands for "New City", which the destination culturally is, if one is to think of its place in the country's history. It is the new city capital that was adopted centuries ago for the Kingdom of Lanna. Today, it is a developing city center that has been able to adopt modern practices without compromising olden cultures, traditions, and infrastructures. Chiang Mai is currently applying to gain the recognition of UNESCO as a creative city.

What differentiates Chiang Mai from Bangkok is that the former presents Thailand in its cultural entirety. What is seen here reflects what the country and its people are all about. Surrounded by the Ping River and foothills of the glorious mountainside of Northern Thailand, hundreds of temples and other places of worship can be found here. There is also an old moated town that will give visitors an insider's look into what the city once was.

Apart from the historical elements and destinations, Chiang Mai is a city that is also reflective of new world influences including a youthful burst of energy that can be experienced in the ever popular nightlife district of Th Nimmanhaemin.

If time spent temple-hopping, moat city exploring, and going from one bar to the next is not enough, visitors can also enjoy the food scene in Chiang Mai, which is not only home to local delicacies and famed Burmese dishes but also offers tastes from different parts of the world. There are plenty of sites to see and things to experience in Chiang Mai, making it an ultimate destination in Asia to consider.

Thailand is a country abundant with temples. There is a Buddhist belief that building temples brings great merit, and the Thai have surely tested this notion throughout the years, with more than 32,000 temples existing nationwide. Some of these are found in the city of Chiang Mai, which has the oldest temples in the country. These majestic temples of the city attest to the rich history, culture and civilization of Chiang Mai, so allow us to help you discover the Wat Umong, Wat Sri Suphan, Wat Bup Pha Ram, Wat Suan Dok, the Wat Jed Yod and other Chiang Mai temples.

Wat Jed Yod in Chiang Mai

Wat Umong – Wat Umong is known to be the jungle temple located at the foot of the Doi Suthep Mountain. One of its [Read more…]

The Museum of Insects and Natural Wonders in Chiang Mai was founded by an entomology enthusiast named Manop Rattanarithnikul in 2002. He is more famously known as the mosquito man and the owner of the museum along with his wife Rampa, who has a similar doctorate in same field. Manop himself guides visitors through the entire insect exhibition where each visitor will be enthralled by the extensive collection of research the man has done on the creatures. The museum displays everything from massive beetles to almost invisible tiny gnats with a total of 442 different species of insects that have endured and survived the Thailand climate.

Museum of Insects and Natural Wonders

No one will beg to argue that the Museum of World Insects and Natural Wonders is the most unusual museum in all of Chiang Mai. Visits are immediately greeted with an unusual display of wood, honeycombed insect nests, termite nests, insect habitats and awesome [Read more…]

Muay Thai is Thailand’s national sport and is a very important part of Thai culture. For the Thais, it is not only a sport but a great passion that has been passed down through generations, a passion that has permeated through its many variations and forms in different regions of the country, including the particular form of Muay Thai in Chiang Mai.

Muay Thai in Chiang Mai

The sport is also known as the “Science of Eight Limbs”, mostly because it uses a person’s knees and elbows as well as classical punches and kicks. The truth is, when performing Muay Thai, any part of the body can be used to strike the opponent and any part of the body [Read more…]

The Queen Siriki Botanical Garden is a world-class conservation center for indigenous Thailand plants and other exotic varieties around the world. Formerly known as the Mae Sa Botanical Garden that received the Royal Honor in 1994, it continues to provide an educational role for children and is an important center for resource for research and the academics for scientists.

Queen Siriki Botanical Garden

However, many who visit the garden are not there for educational reasons but more for a recreational one. Local and foreign tourists alike visit the garden to simply enjoy the stunning setting it has to offer. For those who have a deep interest in horticulture and [Read more…]

The Chiang Dao Cave is one of the top tourist attractions in Thailand as it extends to 12 kilometers into the Doi Chiang Dao Mountain. Truth is, only a handful of experienced trekkers get to venture into the cave of Chiang Dao apart from the five accessible areas: Tham Maa, Tham Phra Nawn, Tham Kaew, Tham Naam and Tham Seua Dao. This cave alone attracts hundreds of tourists to the city and has contributed much to the growth of tourism in the country.

Check out Chiang Dao Cave

The caves feature magnificent crystal formations that have formed due to the drippings of water. Air inside the renowned caves remains cool most of the time but can get extremely humid during the hot and rainy seasons. Despite being a highly complicated trek, [Read more…]

Covering 200 acres of land at the foot of the Doi Suthep, the Chiang Mai Zoo is a worthwhile and energizing spot to visit, especially in a city filled with the quiet serenity of temples. Nearly a variety of 400 different species of animals live at the zoo of Chiang Mai, and this includes elephants, chimpanzees, tigers, rhinoceroses and hippopotami. Special attractions such as the walk-through aviary and a fascinating freshwater aquarium can be seen inside the zoo. But what visitors especially look forward to is seeing a glimpse of Chuang Chuang and Lin Hui, two young pandas that were sent by China as goodwill ambassadors in 2003 that remain the stars of the zoo.

See wild life at Chiang Mai Zoo

The zoo has emphasized the creation of a natural environment feeling with an illusion of being out in the wilderness. Many of the [Read more…]